Basketball Referee

Basketball Referee

Rndballref

20 Years Experience

Chicago, IL

Male, 60

For twenty years I officiated high school, AAU and park district basketball games, retiring recently. For a few officiating is the focus of their occupation, while for most working as an umpire or basketball referee is an avocation. I started ref'ing to earn beer money during college, but it became a great way to stay connected to the best sports game in the universe. As a spinoff, I wrote a sports-thriller novel loosely based on my referee experiences titled, Advantage Disadvantage

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Last Answer on September 20, 2019

Best Rated

So basically to protect myself from now on ill be recording all my daughter games. And what can be done as a parent when a ref officates a terrible game?

Asked by Ronald Poke over 10 years ago

The assignment chairperson should never entertain your tape. Your coach probably tapes the games and the coach (or athletic director) should deal with the quality of the officiating. In my opinion you are getting in too deep, without a real understanding of how the officials are trained. For example, they may see what you are yelling about but they may be making an "Advantage Disadvantage" judgement (this is discussed in a previous question).

If a player blocks a shot, but follows through and hits the shoulder of the player shooting, is it a clean block or a foul?

Asked by David over 10 years ago

Normally, contact after a blocked shot would be considered incidental. So unless the contact is intentional or extremely harsh I would let it go.

If only 4 players are in when ball is put into play, (coach screwed up), can the 5th player enter the court on the go without permission from the referee?

Asked by Dave Evert almost 10 years ago

Technically all players have to be beckoned in by a referee. As a matter of practice, I would not call the T unless the player's entry gave them a distinct advantage such as an undefended fast break.

if a player dribbles the basketball, while dribbling gets it knocked out of their hands, picks up the ball with both hands, than dribbles again, is that a double dribble?

Asked by djvyce about 11 years ago

The dribble ends when the ball is knocked away, and so does player possession. So, if you pick up the ball and dribble it is not double dribble.  You can pick up a ball with two hands as long as you are lifting up.  If you push down with two hands it is double dribble.

If an offensive player goes to dribble the ball and it hits the referee and goes out of bounds which team gets the out of bounds possesion?

Asked by CS about 10 years ago

The ball is awarded opposite the team which touched the ball last before the ball went out of bounds. The referee is considered part of the floor where he/she is standing.

Team A dribbles the ball off the ref's foot and then it goes out of bounds, Team B gets a throw in.

What if..taking ball out under own basket ..throw near midcourt when guy jumps from frontcourt catches and lands in backcourt...or is in backcourt, jumps, catches and lands in frontcort...either of these 2 O&B????

Asked by imaxfli about 11 years ago

During normal play, when a player catches the ball in air he is considered to be in the court he alighted from. Suppose Team A has the ball in possession in A's frontcourt. Player A1 jumps from the backcourt, catches the ball in air and lands in the frontcourt.  This is a backcourt violation. 

HOWEVER, there are two exceptions: 1) if a defensive player jumps from his backcourt, catches the ball and lands in his frontcourt, and 2) on any throw in.

In your question, it is a throw in and so the exception applies. No backcourt violation.

When advancing the ball downcourt, still in the backcourt, a player passes a ball to another player who to recieve the ball jumps from the the forecourt into the backcourt. Is this an over and back violation, and if so why?

Asked by Ron about 10 years ago

A player is considered to be in the court position where they are standing or if in the air, they are in the court where they have alighted from. So to answer the question, the receiver jumped from the front court, caught the ball in air and landed in the back court. This is a back court violation.

There are two exceptions to this rule: 1) on a throw in, and 2) by a defender while intercepting the ball.